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Cliff-Zone Families
29,108
Total Wage Suppression
$21.2M
State Avg Cliff Zone
15.3%
The benefits cliff — sometimes called the welfare cliff or cliff effect — occurs when families lose public benefits faster than they can replace them through increased earnings. In Maine, an estimated 29,108 families across 16 counties earn between 100–200% of the Federal Poverty Level, where benefits like SNAP, Medicaid, childcare subsidies, and housing assistance phase out. The CLIFF Index measures this exposure at the county level, including peak marginal effective tax rates, wage suppression estimates, and advancement thresholds. Click any county below for the full diagnostic report.
| CountyCounty↕ | PopulationPopulation↕ | Cliff Zone %Cliff Zone %↕ | Families AffectedFamilies↓ | Wage SuppressionWage Gap↕ | Peak METRPeak METR↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | 308,827 | 10.8% | 4,429 | $3.2M | 108% |
| Penobscot County | 154,710 | 18.0% | 3,591 | $2.6M | 108% |
| York County | 216,731 | 10.5% | 3,226 | $2.3M | 108% |
| Kennebec County | 126,808 | 17.4% | 3,106 | $2.3M | 108% |
| Androscoggin County | 113,423 | 16.8% | 2,589 | $1.9M | 108% |
| Aroostook County | 67,058 | 21.1% | 2,031 | $1.5M | 108% |
| Somerset County | 50,959 | 23.8% | 1,831 | $1.3M | 108% |
| Oxford County | 59,255 | 20.1% | 1,644 | $1.2M | 108% |
| Hancock County | 56,460 | 14.6% | 1,128 | $821K | 108% |
| Waldo County | 40,192 | 16.2% | 889 | $647K | 108% |
| Knox County | 41,003 | 17.2% | 874 | $636K | 108% |
| Washington County | 31,331 | 20.7% | 869 | $633K | 108% |
| Lincoln County | 36,099 | 16.2% | 837 | $609K | 108% |
| Sagadahoc County | 37,285 | 13.1% | 832 | $606K | 108% |
| Franklin County | 30,413 | 22.5% | 766 | $558K | 108% |
| Piscataquis County | 17,263 | 18.2% | 466 | $339K | 108% |
16 of 16 counties shown. Click any county for full diagnostic.